


His Own Bouquet

by aquastellium



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Comfort, Death, Eventual Romance, F/M, Florist!Reader - Freeform, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Romance, Supernatural Elements, matsun is spiritual and sees spirits and shit, matsun works at a fucking funeral home there's gonna be death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 23:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29816100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquastellium/pseuds/aquastellium
Summary: Matsukawa Issei doesn't like flowers. That is, until a little honeybee comes along.Anticipated update: 3/8
Relationships: Matsukawa Issei/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. Gladioli

**Author's Note:**

> matsukawa issei was dubbed "the first or second most un-ordinary character in the series" and "could probably be a main character in another manga" and this boy has a pisces stellium with a sun square pluto so naturally, we're gonna give him some spiritual fifth sense shit. Dude works in a funeral home for christ's sake. also, it isn't like "gonna move shit with my mind". more like, "yeah, there's something here, let's be respectful towards it" type of stuff. if you're not a fan of this stuff, i wouldn't recommend reading this piece then since it plays a role in some places. some of matsun's experiences will be based off of my own experiences
> 
> cw for this chapter: matsun is hosting a funeral for a non-binary individual disowned by their parents, mentions of alcohol at the end
> 
> cross-posted on aquastellium on tumblr

Matsukawa Issei, 23, funeral home employee, hated flowers.

Well, he didn’t _hate_ flowers, per se. In fact, growing up, he found himself running through his parent’s small front garden, staring up in awe and wonder at the flower bushes towering over him that his grandparents had spent their entire lives growing. Beautiful, vibrant, the centerpiece to the summer afternoon butterflies’ dances and numerous childhood stories. Flower bushes he learned to draw from, spending his early childhood and even high school years sketching out the same bushes over and over again. Never once did he find himself growing tired of it, finding himself immediately at ease once he pulled out his sketchbook and sat on his front porch with a cup of iced barley tea.

Those days were long gone, the memories a thing of the past. Now, flowers meant death, yellow and white lilies and chrysanthemums berating and overwhelming his senses like a cheap department perfume. There was no longer the beauty and awe he saw in flowers that he saw so long ago at his family’s home. Sometimes he wondered if his old pop and ma were keeping up with the garden, but he never had the opportunity to visit. Never really had a reason to visit his folks nowadays, with the invention of facetime. Not that seeing the bushes would change anything, anyway. Everything seemed to have a dark tinge around the edges nowadays.

So when the aged funeral home employee saw the tiny little, sage green truck pull up to the funeral home, back covered with a tarp to protect the flowers from the rainshower, he didn’t think much of it.

“What a shitty day for a funeral,” Matsun found himself mumbling to no one in particular, squinting up at the overcast sky, umbrella in hand as he watched the owner of the truck hop out. “Wish it could have been better for you, Ashton.”

Ashton Harvey. The person this funeral was for. A poor, unfortunate soul that had found themselves disowned by their family after seeking to live a life true to their spirit. A story that Matsun found himself breaking down over when their only friend, Catilin Martinez, contacted him to set up a funeral for them. An 18 year old taken far too early from this world in a tragic car accident in Sendai. _May they find love, support, and a family to give them unconditional support and love in the next life._ The funeral home employee’s nightly prayer echoed through his head as he stepped out towards the flower truck, umbrella in hand.

He gently knocked on the top of the truck, hoping to not startle the florist. He’d learned that lesson the hard way after causing near heart attacks in a few grannies. “Good morning, I’m Matsukawa Issei. I’m helping run the funeral for Ashton Harvey. May I help you carry anything in?”

When you turned around, Matsukawa noted with a humorous thought that you _definitely_ weren’t prepared for a funeral. Cladded in a pair of soft green overalls matching your truck, covering a cream colored slightly oversized sweater, brown hiking boots, and an obnoxiously yellow raincoat, you _definitely_ looked like a stereotypical florist. A far cry from the traditional black-cladded funeral processions he usually arranged. But, given you were the florist, he wasn’t exactly expecting you to stay around.

“Oh, would you? I would be incredibly appreciative of it. Could you just…” Stretching out his umbrella, you smiled warmly up at the funeral employee. _Cute_ , Matsukawa thought to himself as he politely bowed towards you. “Oh, thanks, I appreciate it. Could you help me lift the tarp? Oh, I’m [L/N] [F/N], by the way. I’m the owner over at [L/N] Florals. Nice to meet you!”

Stepping towards the back of the truck, gently lifting the bottom of the tarp up. “Hmm, is this your first time here? I don’t think…. Oh, _wow_.”

In that moment, Matsukawa could have _sworn_ the skies had opened up and the sun blazed down the brightest he had ever seen. As the tarp fell off over the truck, he found his eyes widening and mouth gaping in awe at the flowers in front of him. Soft, pastel pink, a perfect white, and powdery blue flowers he had _never_ seen before sat in front of him, delicately wrapped together in their own bouquets with a thin, yellow string. Everything was so vibrant, it felt like he was seeing color for the first time in his entire life. Not a single lily or chrysanthemum in sight, he noted as he reached forward to delicately running his fingers over the flowers. At some point, he found himself not breathing, and he forced himself to take a breath.

A soft giggle came from beside him, his attention turning back towards you, breath gone again as he saw the proud smile on your face. “They’re gladiolus. You don’t really see them in eastern funerals….”

Whatever you were saying was going in one ear and out the other as Matsun stared at your smile, eyes wide and mouth dry as he chiseled your smile into his memory. The funeral employee could feel his heart pounding in his chest, stomach turned into a knot, a familiar sensation that harbored back to his days in high school. The dark overcast day seemed to suddenly turn bright, the sun suddenly standing in front of him, bringing a sense of warmth and comfort that he hadn’t felt in ages. He was _certain_ that any wilted flowers in your presence would immediately perk up, bowing to you like the royalty he was certain you were.

Oh.

Oh no.

Oh no no no no no no no. 

Matsun was used to having people hit on him at funerals, sometimes having to escape to the employee’s only bathroom to escape them. He’s used to having grannies give him their phone numbers. But crushing on the florist he had just met less than five minutes ago?

_Fuck._

Matsun _prayed_ that you hadn’t seen the blush forming on his cheeks as he ran his free hand down his neck, turning his attention back to the flowers.

“... most importantly, gladiolus represent strength and integrity because they’re named after the gladus, which gladiators used in combat in… Rome? I think? Wherever the colosseum is. Was? Is it still standing? I dunno.” Matsukawa could feel your gaze on him, and he desperately tried to ignore it as he stared hard at the flowers. “I think that’s fitting of someone like Ashton, isn’t it? Living their life fully as who they are, regardless of the circumstances.”

A thin smile tugged at Matsun’s lips as he turned to you, eyes softening at the mention of Ashton’s name. _Thank you for paying so much attention,_ he wanted to say. “I never got to meet them…. Actually, I don’t meet a lot of my clients in this business. Ah, sorry, distasteful joke. But Caitilin says they were a good, strong person, and I think it’s a very fitting arrangement.”

The soft giggle that left your lips sounded like a song he never knew he was missing his life. “I understand. You probably need to keep a sense of humor for this job. Still…” Matsukawa watched as a frown scrawled on your face, a sad look slipping into your eyes. “I wish they didn’t have to be so strong. It would have been nice to see their family here to mourn their death.”

Oh, fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. A nice smile, a soft giggle that sounded like a song, and a soft heart to boot. _You_ were about to make him cry at a damn funeral with how absolutely sweet you were. _You_ were intimidating this 6’4” man by just _existing_ in the same general vicinity as him _._ _Makki is gonna have a fucking field day with this,_ he thought to himself, remembering he had promised to grab drinks with his old friend later that evening. Maybe he could… No, that would be _wildly_ inappropriate of him to try to get your number during a funeral. You were a business owner, and a potential business partner, just doing the job they were paid to do by Catilin. Plain and simple.

“I wish I could have done yellow, white, purple, and black, but with Catilin’s budget, it wasn’t really an option. Plus the closest thing to a black gladiolus would be a dark blue and not a true blue, so it wouldn’t really be true to the color scheme… Also I’m kinda sick and tired of doing white and yellow arrangements for funerals, it’s just so… Oh my god.” Matsun watched, a faint hint of amusement on his face as you slapped a hand on your mouth. “I am _so_ sorry, I’m rambling aren’t I? I just really, really like flowers.”

Laughter erupted from Matsun, his head dipping a bit as he watched you cover your face with both of your hands in embarrassment. “No, no, it’s fine. I’d love to hear more, but I think we should probably start getting set up for the funeral… Do you think you could tell me more while we’re getting everything set up?”

Umbrella in arm, careful to not accidentally pour the collected water onto you, Matsun scooped up as many flower bouquets his arm span could manage. In the back of the mind, he noted that these flowers didn’t smell like a cheap department store perfume. Rather, it was light, delicate, and he wanted more of it, trying to avoid digging his face into the flowers to get a deeper smell. He wondered if the smell would last on his suit.

True to his promise, you rambled about flowers the entire time as he tried to keep up with you arranging the flowers behind Ashton’s picture. The meanings behind the flowers, how they have different meanings in different countries, _why_ you picked certain colors. In Ashton’s case, you had gone with the trans pride flag for the arrangement, but you had wanted to do a non-binary pride flag. You weren’t able to, unfortunately, due to budget constraints, so you had decided to do small little touches, like a yellow ribbon to tie the bouquets together. 

Something about your words made Matsun feel… Warm. Safe, like he was sitting down with a friend that he had known for ages, slugging away cheap beers as the two of you recalled stories from childhood. He memorized every vocal intonation you had, every tiny gesture. The lilt in your voice as you praised him for how he arranged the flowers, the way you adjusted your sweater, the soft, adoring look in your eyes as you stepped back and looked at the arrangement. The arrangement, despite its simplicity, was nothing short of spectacular, flowers blooming out from the picture of Ashton, pink gladiolus laid on top, white in the middle, and blue on the bottom. Just like the pride flag.

“Um, excuse me.”

Matsun turned his attention to the entrance of the funeral parler, a small feminine figure standing in the doorway. Catilin Martinez stood at the entrance, cladded in a simple black dress, brown long hair pulled back in a loose braid, light brown eyes red and puffy from obvious crying. _She’s lost weight,_ the funeral employee noted, stepping towards her. _I’ll make sure to order her food during the vigil tonight._

On most occasions, it would have been incredibly inappropriate to engulf his client in a massive hug, Matsun finding himself pulling Catilin in tight into his chest. But on this occasion, he would make an exception. Catilin had come to him the day after Ashton had died, tears streaming down her face, in the midst of a full-blown anxiety attack that made him immediately pull her in for a hug to calm her down. She was only seventeen, about to graduate from Karasuno, preparing a funeral for her closest friend with the insurance payout from the accident without the help of their family. Matsun was really, truly, the _only_ support she had during this entire time, helping her through the entire step of the funeral, only accepting payments when she could make them. Hell, he even did her homework assignments for her when she admitted she was losing sleep over the funeral. Any questions she had, regardless if they were at midnight, he was a call away.

Rubbing a soothing hand up and down her back, Matsun could feel his dress shirt become wet from her soft sobs. It didn’t matter to him, though. Shirts were replaceable; unspilt tears weren’t.

“Hey, hey, I’m here. I’ve always been here to help you, we’re in this together.” Matsun murmured reassuringly, hoping to at least sooth her anxieties and sadness. “The flower arrangements are beautiful, and I know Ashton would love them. I’m proud of how well you did with it.”

Sniffling, Catilin pulled back to look up at Matsun quietly, letting him wipe the tears away from his face. “I-I wish I could have done more flowers…”

 _I love them. Please let her know._ A voice whispered in the back of Matsun’s smile, and he quietly thanked Ashton for their presence. “Well, I disagree strongly. They’re lovely, and I hope you come to see that by the end of the funeral. Would you like to get started with the procession? I’ll be right beside you the entire time.”

Matsun didn’t notice when you slipped out, leaving him and Catilin to mourn in private, but he definitely felt the lack of your presence. The funeral procession went smoothly, making sure to keep his promise to Catilin as he stayed by her side the entire time, helping her with the chants and mantras and prayers. As expected, no one showed up. There was no regretful return from Ashton’s family, no wails from them as they begged for their child’s forgiveness in the afterlife. To be quite honest, Matsun was happy that they didn’t make a dramatic appearance. He wasn’t sure if he could keep his anger down long enough to speak with them politely.

Following the procession, Matsun escorted Catilin to the room where they would be taking their vigil while Ashton’s body was cremated, making sure to order from Onigiri Miya and get enough food for her. Anxiety took over as he bit his bottom lip, tearing at the delicate skin as he stepped out of the room. His eyes widened as he saw you still standing in the waiting room, making eye contact with him the moment he stepped out. In your hands was a single white gladioli. One that was probably dropped on the way in.

“Ah, it’s a bit too late for me to add that to the cremation, sorry.” Scratching the back of his neck, Matsun stepped forward, standing in front of you. “I can take that to Catilin, if you’d like. I’m sure she would appreciate it.”

Matsun noticed you were biting your lip, and he instinctively stepped back, wanting to make sure you had your space. “No, I was, um.” Without finishing your sentence, you placed the single gladioli into the funeral employee’s suit pocket, straightening out his collar before pulling away. “It’s so stupid but something told me you needed it… Thank you for all you do. I didn’t mention it, but Catilin talked a lot about you and how much you helped her. I hope people recognize your strength and see that in you.” Fumbling through your coat pocket, you pulled out your business card, passing it off to Matsun. “Here. I realized that I haven’t had, like, _any_ business with your funeral home for some reason. You should stop by my shop sometime. I’ll make sure to show you around.”

The funeral employee could barely register the soft smile on your face before you bowed and stepped out of the funeral home, walking back to your truck. All he could do was stare on, eyes widen, acutely aware of the single gladioli in his suit pocket. There was nothing he could say to you and even if he did have something to say, he couldn’t trust his voice to betray him and crack underneath the pressure building on him. Silently, he prayed that he would see you again, that you would become popular enough in the area to be coming to his funeral home for every single funeral he ran. He wondered if just _this_ once, his nightly prayers could be for you. To see you again.

Faintly, he could feel a light-hearted presence, watching on in joy and glee at the scene unfolding in front of them.

\-----

“Ya got no balls, ‘Sei, that’s the problem.”

Matsun audibly groaned at Hanamaki’s analysis, slamming back the beer he had ordered and putting his face in his hands. “No, it would be _incredibly_ inappropriate of me to talk to them with their business number. They’re a _business owner_ being nice and building connections with our business.”

“Does the regular florist give you a flower when they leave?”

“Ah, no, but-”

“But what?” Makki quirked an eyebrow at his old friend, laughing quietly. “No balls, man, absolutely no fucking balls at all. Besides,” a phone was shoved into Matsun’s face, forcing him to remove his hands from his face for a brief moment, “gladiolus flowers _also_ represent affection. Betcha they knew that.”

God damn it. Why did he agree to go out to drinks with Makki again? Running his hands down his face, Matsun turned his attention back to his companion. “Okay, say they _were_ flirting with me. I don’t even think I have a crush! They were just being nice to me, it was a super emotional funeral, and it was a fleeting moment.”

“So whaddya think about them?”

What did Matsun think about you? What did he _think_ about you? Not even the greatest poet could describe his feelings towards you, the feelings that had blossomed after knowing you for only five minutes. He so desperately believed that you were a deity walking this plane once more, gracing mortals with your mere presence. Something in the back of his mind _knew_ that flowers would perk right back up the moment you walked by them, bowing towards you, knowing fully that _you_ were royalty and an ethereal being. For a brief moment, he wondered if mortals could understand what the flowers understood, if they could see what the flowers saw in you. He missed your warmth already, the sounds of your giggles, the lilt in your voice, the crinkles around your eyes when you smiled. So desperately, he…

Laughter erupted from Makki, tears starting to stream down his eyes. “Damn, ‘Sei, you got it _bad_ holy shit. What are we, back in high school?”

Matsun briefly wondered if he could beat the shit out of Makki and avoid legal trouble. “Shut the _hell_ up.” A sigh escaped his lips as he ran his hands through his hair. “... My boss wants me to stop by the flower shop, ask if we could get a deal for our clients. He was really impressed with the work they did.” He already knew he was going to regret what he was about to say. “... If you _behave_ , would you like to come with me? I could use the confidence boost.”

More snorting laughter from Makki. “That is a _terrible_ idea, and I am _so_ glad you realize that. Fuck yes, I’m in.”

\-----

An all too familiar silence filled Matsun’s apartment as he stepped in, flipping the lights onto his kitchen as he slipped his work jacket off onto his singular kitchen chair. Pulling a cup out of the cupboard to grab a glass of water before heading off to bed, he noticed faint movement out of the corner of his eye, becoming aware of a presence. Something familiar, but something new.

“Hey, Ashton.” His voice echoed through the empty apartment air, leaning up against his kitchen counter as he sipped on his water, staring at the air. “You know you’ve gotta place here. Always have, always will. Stay as long as ya need to, there’s no rush, it’s different for each person.”

This had been a nighttime ritual for quite a while. In fact, if he remembered correctly, he had felt Ashton’s presence shortly after they had passed. An unsure, insecure presence, one that needed a _lot_ more reassurance than the others. But like with everyone else, Matsun worked through it, learning the ends and outs, what they liked as offerings and what they didn’t like. Spending the evenings talking with them so they weren’t so lonely. He rarely got a response, unlike the others, but he hoped that it at least put them at ease.

“Ya know, you were damn lucky to have Catilin in your life. Such a sweetheart, she cared _so_ deeply for you. Still does, I reckon.” A bit of shyness entered the room, earning a chuckle from him. “What, I’m serious! But I guess Catilin was just as lucky to have you in her life. You sounded like a great person, really brought out the best in Catilin. Says she wouldn’t have been able to get over her social anxiety if it wasn’t for you. Hey, you listening?” Ashton’s presence became attentive at the question. “Remember when you went to the zoo that you two saw that ibis and you told Catilin she was as pretty as an ibis? _If_ you decide to come back, come back as an ibis and make sure to visit her. She’ll know it’s you.”

A pause. Then, much to his shock, Matsun watched as his suit rustled on the back of his chair, like a soft draft had blown through his apartment. Tilting his head, the funeral employee watched the single white gladioli flutter out, landing right in front of his feet on the kitchen tile. A stupid grin fell on his lips as a boisterous laugh tumbled out uncontrollably.

“I shoulda known that was you, Ashton. Alright, alright, I’ll talk to [L/N], yeesh. I can’t make any promises though.” As he leaned down to pick up the flower from the floor, the draft hit him hard in the face. “Well, I’m _sorry_ that I’m not the most charismatic guy. They’re like… Fifty times more attractive than I am. But I’ll make sure to give it a try, at least. Now, would you mind helping me decide which vase to put this in?”

Shower taken, hair dried, incense burning for Ashton, Matsukawa found himself staring up at the stars and moons, thinking about you instead of the spirits that he prayed for at night. He wondered if he was being selfish for thinking about, wondering if you were looking at the same moon as him. And for a moment, he found himself drowning in the child-like glee of having a new crush.


	2. Jade Vine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matsukawa stops by your shop to make a business deal. Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no cw needed for this chapter
> 
> crossposted to @aquastellium on tumblr

“Oh my god, I’ve overstepped, haven’t I?” In the middle of your shop, sitting down at the sage green wooden table, cheek pressed onto the table, a storm cloud seemed to be brewing over you as you dramatically slouched your shoulders. “He’s just a funeral home employee doing his job. I shouldn’t have said anything at all. What if I’m called back to his workplace? Oh my god, _that_ would be awkward.”

Behind the bouquet preparation counter, your long-time employee sighed and shook his head, the movement of his shoulder long black dreads only emphasizing his disappointment. Cladded in the store’s traditional sage green work apron he’d had for about seven years now, Yasuda Yuuto had turned just twenty-five this year but, unfortunately, looked years older with the crows feet developing around his black eyes. Large, calloused hands deftly moved as he trimmed the stems of a rose bouquet he was preparing for a client’s wedding, a soft hum coming from him as he listened to your complaints and concerns. For a moment, you wondered if you should offer to step in and take care of the rose bouquet, given that he had recently broken up with his fiancee of two years, but you declined to as you remembered him explicitly saying that he needed to work through it by himself.

“So, are you looking for advice or are you looking to complain?” he inquired, tying the freshly made bouquet and moving onto the baby’s breath. “Because I can do both. I just need to know what exactly you _did_ before I give you advice.”

Rolling your head on the table to face your employee, you elected to ignore Yasuda’s snort of laughter at the deep table indentations forming on your cheek. “Okay, look, a single gladioli dropped from the bouquet so I was just thinking ‘oh, these represent affection, I’ll just give it to him because he’s cute’, _completely_ forgetting that I had told him that earlier. And then I gave him my business card and said he should stop by the shop for a tour.” Dramatically, you threw yourself over the back of your chair, rubbing your eyes with your hands. “And oh my god, he’s so _niceeeee_ and sweet. You should have seen how he treated Catilin and spoke about Ashton. Even let me ramble about flowers when I was getting flustered around him. _Ughhhhhhhh._ ”

You could have _slapped_ Yasuda over the dumbfounded look on his face that he gave you at the end of your statement. His eyebrows raised, mouth slightly agape, you watched as he slowly started shaking his head. “You call _that_ being bold? You’re joking, right?” His focus returned back to the bouquet of baby’s breath as he shook his head in disappointment. “ _That_ sounded like a business proposition… _Speaking_ of funeral homes and business propositions, we had one in Miyagi call earlier today. Can’t recall the name of the place, but it’s still saved on voicemail for you to check out. Just a bit away from Sendai, if I remember correctly, so it wouldn’t be too big of a deal if we decided to work with them.”

Like a computer, you went through all the business deals you had sorted out with the local funeral parlors. Per your grandparents’ request and wishes when you inherited the family business, you were to be limited to the amount of funeral parlors you had contracts and deals with because your family simply didn’t want to _work_ with them. Not out of petty reasons or spite or dislike or superstition. Your grandparents just didn’t _like_ floral arrangements for funerals. _Boring, bland, uninspired,_ you recalled your grandfather ranting one night over sushi after doing a single arrangement for a family friend. _I’m never doing one again._ He was true to his word, never doing another funeral arrangement for the shop or for personal reasons. 

Unfortunately for you, having only recently opened the Miyagi branch, funeral homes were really one of the _only_ options you had at the moment. Or, at least, the only places that could bring in business until you started having people casually stopping in. Convincing your grandfather to allow you to _at least_ do that was a challenge in and of itself and even then, you were limited to the amount of parlors you could have business contracts with. It was either that or the _worst_ possible thing you could think of.

Sighing heavily, you stood up from your spot at the table. _Gotta be a productive business owner, I guess._ “How many funeral parlors do we have business deals with again?”

“Hmmm, four, I believe? What, worried about your grandpa’s threat?” Humor and a teasing lilt crept into Yasuda’s voice at the last question.

Sticking your tongue out at your employee, you puffed out your cheeks. “Yes, I’m worried about that! I’ve had that damn jade vine since I was six and if he takes that away from me, I dunno what I’m gonna do with myself.”

A thoughtful look appeared on Yasuda’s face as he lightly tapped his chin with a bushel of baby’s breath. “So if you end up dating this funeral home employee…”

“Shut up!”

Laughter erupted in the shop as you slammed the door to your office shut. Sighing heavily, you settled down at your computer, pulling out a notepad to take notes as you pressed the voicemail button. You quickly found the voicemail that Yasuda had mentioned, settling in to take notes and hoped that it seemed like a decent business that you wouldn’t have to decline.

“Hello, this is the owner of…”

Oh.

_Oh no._

At the mention of the familiar funeral parlor name, you found yourself loudly screaming in your office.

\-----

Matsukawa Issei was _not_ a businessman. He also knew nothing about flowers. Hanamaki Takahiro was _also_ not a businessman. And also knew _nothing_ about flowers.

 _What a pair we make,_ Matsun thought to himself as he looked down at his phone, desperately hoping he hadn’t missed your shop. The poor man could feel his nervous sweat sticking to his white undershirt, uncomfortably cool with the late winter chill. What made it worse was his black, heavy wool overcoat that he was _terrified_ to remove with how much he was sweating. The last thing he needed was for strangers to see a massive sweat patch on his shirt, _especially_ when he was on work’s time.

“Hey, you think your job will pay me for this?” Makki’s question broke through Matsun’s nervous scrolling. “Hey, hey, stop biting your lip! Last thing you want is for them to see you lip bleeding and busted.”

“Says the one whose been single since high school.”

“Despite all my failed dates, I’m _pretty_ damn sure that no one would find a bleeding lip attractive.”

Sighing heavily, Matsun ran a hand through his hair, quietly cursing to himself after feeling the styling gel in his hair. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m just… Nervous, ya know? They’re really, really great and I don’t want to come off as weird.”

Scoffing, Makki swatted his old friend’s away to stop him from further messing up his styled hair. “Yes, I am right. Besides, what the hell do you have to be worried about? You’re the most attractive out of us two, their eyes will be _all_ over you.”

A quiet groan escaped his lips at Makki’s observation. “Yeah, I’m not sure if that’s exactly what I want to be completely honest. Might just shit myself if I get too much attention.”

“ _That’s_ nasty and definitely won’t be winning anyone’s hearts.”

“Shut up, anyway…” A loud alert from Matsun’s phone alerted him to their arrival. “We should be…”

“Oh _wow_.”

There was a certain swell of pride in Matsun’s chest as he saw his old friend’s jaw go slack and his mouth drop open at the sight of your storefront. Shop name neatly scrawled out on kanji, accented against the sage green paintings, all his anxiety seemed to drift away in the strangers walking around them. Bushes of flowers sprawled out in front of the flower, small premade bouquets and succulent containers settled beneath and between them. Orange, blue, yellow, purple, colors that Matsun could have sworn he had never even seen before. For a moment, he wondered if you were inside, a smile creeping up on his face as he imagined you laughing and smiling along to a podcast or song you were listening to, arranging a bouquet for a wedding or for a baby’s birth. Despite his height (which was _pretty_ impressive), he couldn’t _quite_ see over the flowers and into the store.

Turning his attention back to Makki, Matsun couldn’t help but snort out a laugh over his starstruck gaze. _Like a kid in a goddamn festival._ “I know, right? They’re damn beautiful.”

Makki didn’t even respond as he leaned down to investigate a specific bush of flowers. Three flowers, _vaguely_ looking like roses, some pure white, some red, and some a shade of pink that _almost_ matched Makki’s hair. For a moment, Matsun contemplated making a joke about him camouflaging into the storefront, but elected against it as he watched Makki reach out to touch the petals with a childlike innocence.

“Camellias. Damn hard to keep in this region, unfortunately, and they’re about to start wilting.” Matsun almost started scream-laughing as he watched Makki’s face turn the color of the red flowers he was staring at. “I was actually just about to set up a discount on them. I’m more than happy to ring you up inside.”

Matsun wasn’t quite sure how he felt when he saw the employee step outside of the shop. Relief? Sadness? A mix of both? The man standing outside of the store had darker skin, black dreads falling around his shoulders as he smiled softly. An obviously worn sage green work apron wrapped around his waist, blue jeans and a cream sweater, there was _definitely_ a theme with this store, Matsun recalling your appearance at Ashton’s funeral. And it seemed like Makki had fallen head over heels for this man the moment he had stepped out and spoken to them.

Bowing politely, Matsun gestured for Makki to stand up and follow suit. “I think we’ll have to pass, for now at least. My boss wanted me to stop by to talk to your owner about a business deal. There should have been a voicemail left…?”

Smiling widely, the employee nodded, opening the front door as he motioned for them to join. “Of course! I think [L/N] _just_ finished listening to the voicemail, so you’ve got perfect timing. Yasuda Yuuto, by the way. And you two are…?”

“Ah, Matsukawa Issei. This is my friend, Hanamaki Takahiro. He wanted to tag along, if that’s alright. We won’t discuss business matters in front of him.”

Yasuda waved his hand dismissively as Matsun and Makki stepped into the shop. “No worries. I’m happy to see you here! We’re a pretty new shop, so we’re more than happy to have guests.”

“Oh, you’re new in town?” Matsun inquired, looking around the shop. “I didn’t realize that.”

It was like something out of a Ghibli movie, reminiscent of Howl’s room in _Howl’s Moving Castle_ . Flowers in every spot possible, sprawling off of clearly vintage wooden bookshelves, surrounding. Matsun noted a hallway leading off to a different room, mentally making a note to ask you for a full tour at some point. Surprisingly, the smell wasn’t overwhelming and _didn’t_ smell like an old granny’s cheap perfume. It was comforting, like his parent’s flower garden in the springtime. Somewhere to his left, a whistle echoed throughout the room, grabbing Yasuda’s attention.

“Sorry about that, should have warned you about the tea kettle first. Would you two like some barley tea while you look around?” Makki and Matsun nodded, the former keenly watching the employee walking over to the tea kettle. “But yes, this store is relatively new. I’ll let [L/N] tell you about it when they get out here. Please feel free to look around while you wait!”

Ah yes. _You._ The anxiety that had drifted off in the crowd walking by seemed to blow right back into the flower shop as Matsun felt himself stiffen, instinctively turning away to examine the flowers to try and hide his anxiety. In fact, he inspected the flowers so deeply, he didn’t even _notice_ you stepping out of your office, nor did he notice Makki leaning over the counter, _heavily_ flirting with you. It was your soft giggles that caught his attention, Matsun immediately glaring at his friend for his behavior. Well, maybe Matsun should have been grateful for his friend, as he felt his tense shoulders relax as he watched the creases around your eyes form from laughter, your laughter even _better_ than he remembered.

“You know, you could have just called them. They’re quite friendly and they _definitely_ wouldn’t have minded a chat with you.”

As he had told his friend earlier, Matsun almost shit his pants as he turned to Yasuda, who was holding out a hot mug of barley tea. Sighing heavily and mumbling out an apology, he wrapped his hands around the mug, easily dwarfing it as he cuddled up for the warmth. “Ah, no, it wouldn’t have been appropriate of me. I just got their number for business reasons, not for flirting.”

“Right, right, right. But with the way you’re staring at them, I strongly doubt you _just_ want business relations.”

How could he lie? Biting his lip bottom lip nervously, Matsun turned his attention back to you, enamored with the way you flitted around the shop, showing his old friend all the flowers. Were they your favorite? Did you even have favorites? He wondered if you would ever get sick of flowers, if he could build a bouquet to surprise you. In the back of his mind, images of coffee shop dates, dates by the oceans, stargazing, mountain hikes took flight, a soft smile forming on his lips as he imagined an entire future. _No, no, no_ . He shook his head, turning back to Yasuda. _It’s way too early for that, don’t get your hopes up._

It seemed you were similarly adored by your employee, Matsun observing Yasuda resting his head on his chin, watching you flit around the store with Makki. His dark eyes soft, full of adoration as he strummed his fingers on the counter. Matsun snickered slightly, sipping on the barley tea once it cooled.

“Looks like I’m not the only one.”

At that remark, Yasuda stood straight up, running a hand on the back of his neck as he looked away. “Ah, no, uh, not…. Not quite.”

Oh. Oh. _Oh._ Makki.

Damn, he really fucked that one up. “Ah, sorry about that. You want me to get his number for you? Not sure if you noticed him getting flustered when you talked to us outside.”

“Oh, it’s, um.” Yasuda sighed heavily, shoulders slumped as he shook his head. “It’s really complicated right now, I’m… Getting stuff figured out. But I, uh,” he rolled his bottom lip between his teeth as he thought, “could use a tutor for my daughter, though. Five years old, just basic elementary stuff. Think he could help out with that?”

Laughter erupted from Matsun as he pulled out a pad of paper and pen, scribbling out his friend’s name. “Yeah, he’s a bit dumb, but he’s great with kids. They’ll be best friends in no time. Here.” He ripped off the piece of paper and pushed it towards Yasuda. “Make sure you get your number to him, though, just in case.”

Stuffing the ripped piece of paper into his apron pocket, the flower shop employee quickly turned his attention back to Matsun, a mischievous glint in his eye. He wasn’t quite sure if he liked that look in his eyes or not. “So, anyway.” Matsun’s eyes widened in horror as Yasuda’s voice suddenly became _much_ louder. Loud enough to reach throughout the entire store. “I hear Miyagi’s cherry blossom festival is coming up. You should-”

Yasuda couldn’t finish his sentence before you came barging around the corner, Matsun turning in shock to see the complete and utter feral look in your eyes. Makki stood behind, eyes wide as he made eye contact, desperately asking for help with a silent plea.

“ _No!_ ” Your voice was most definitely displeased at Yasuda’s suggestion. “That festival is _so_ overrated and _way_ too busy! There’s so many better festivals we could go to, that’s just the one that’s constantly advertised around town because it attracts tourists. It’s a tourist trap!”

Yasuda hummed along, preparing a bouquet of white lilies as if he had heard this rant millions of times. “And what’s the best festival to go to, [L/N]?”

“Mr. Fujimoro’s wisteria patch!” Amusement spread across Matsun’s face as you bonked a fist on your open hand, pride falling on your face with the declaration. Absolutely _fucking_ adorable. “It technically opens next week, but the _peak_ is about a month and a half from now. That’s when he schedules private viewings, and he always makes sure to get me scheduled for one.”

“So, it’s settled then!” Yasuda’s clap echoed through the shop, catching everyone’s attention. “We’ll be going to Mr. Fujimoro’s wisteria patch in a month and a half from now!”

“ _HAUH._ ”

Yasuda let a painful snort of laughter rip out of his chest at the shared reaction, slapping a hand on his mouth as tears started trailing down his face. Matsun vaguely noted Makki’s wide, adoring eyes as he listened to the flower store employee’s laugh, making sure to etchi it into memory. For _encouragement_ purposes, definitely _not_ teasing purposes. He did, however, fail to recognize your obviously flustered and embarrassed state. Something Makki most _definitely_ took note of.

Once Yasuda excused himself to the back office, still snorting from laughter, Matsun went back to perusing the flowers, sipping on his barley tea like some middle aged man. Orange, purple, pink, white, blue. Colors he had never _seen_ on flowers before. Since starting at the funeral home, it seemed like the only flowers in existence were yellow and white lilies and chrysanthemums. Now, he couldn’t help but find himself entranced, feeling everything like it was his first time seeing a flower, a soft smile on his face.

Poking his head down the hall he had seen earlier, Matsun found himself in absolute awe as he stared into the room on the very end. In front of him, peaking around the corner like a rare being, two _massively_ bright plants hunt from the ceiling of a spare greenhouse. The one on the left a fluorescent blue-green, the one on the right a fiery red color. He didn’t even notice you walk up next to him, a soft smile on your face.

“Impressive isn’t it?” Your eyes widened in shock as you noticed him jump. “Oh my god, I am _so_ sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Laughing softly, Matsun turned his attention to you, leaning up against the wall. “No, no, it’s fine, no need to apologize. What are they, anyway?”

Motioning for him to follow, you started down the hallway. “Jade vine plants. The blue one, I’ve had since I was younger. Gift from my grandparents, and it’s what got me into plants. The red one, I got as a gift for starting my PhD in botany. It’s new so it isn’t _quite_ as big as the blue one.”

 _Small_ isn’t quite what Matsun would describe the red plant as. In fact, it easily went down to his knees, the blue one even taller than him. As beautiful as these plants were, his hand gently caressing the petals, he couldn’t help but be enamored by the look on your face. That soft, proud look as you smiled up at the plants. A smile he wished could be reserved for him, a fluttering sensation settling in his core as his gaze softened.

“Tell me about the flower.” _Let’s be bold._ “And you mentioned a PhD? Tell me about it.”

Matsun quietly thanked himself for that moment of bravery, his heart soaring as he watched your face light up. You told him _all_ about the flower. How to take care of it, the story behind it, how it got you hooked on plants. Much to Matsun’s shock, these two plants were some of the healthiest jade plants in Japan, and many plant gardens stopped by to take a cutting to grow for their parks. High ranking government officials frequently paid for cuttings, and they were featured at _least_ once a year. Talks about the plant devolved into you talking about your master’s program for botany, how you were recently accepted into a PhD program in botany. How your grandparents got you into flowers when you helped them run the shop when you were kid.

“... So, now that my folks are older, they passed the business on to me after I got my master’s. Our main branch is out of Tokyo, and we have multiple branches throughout the country.” Matsun watched as the back of your neck, impressed by your resume. “My folks _just_ opened this branch before they retired and passed it onto me. So, consider it a departing gift from them.” You hopped up on an empty bench, stroking the red jade vine. “So what about you?”

“Played volleyball in high school, went to college for a while, dropped out after a semester, got a gig at a funeral home.” Mattsun shrugged, leaning up against the wall. “Nothing exciting, really.”

You laughed, smiling sweetly up at him. “Volleyball player to funeral home employee? That sounds interesting.”

“Maybe another time, hm? It’s kind of a weird story.” _That doesn’t sound good._ Mattsun nervously rubbed his neck, biting his lip. “Not that I don’t trust you or anything, it’s just… Kinda personal? And people give me weird looks when I talk about it.”

You shook your head, waving a dismissing hand. “Hey, no worries. Oh! I’ve been meaning to ask you so just…. Humor me, I guess? If you could make a bouquet out of any flowers, what would you get? Like, anything in the world.”

Oh damn, Matsun was _not_ ready for that question. Not at all. How was he, a funeral home employee, about to admit to _you,_ a florist, that he knew nothing about flowers outside of the stuff at the funeral homes? Literally, he only knew about _two_ different types of flowers and that was it. And lilies and chrysanthemums couldn’t be the _only_ thing in a bouquet. He chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck as he slightly leaned over you.

“I’ll be _completely_ honest.” His heart almost melted when you tilted your head. “I don’t know _anything_ outside of lilies and chrysanthemums, since those are like the only flowers at funerals… So, that’s kind of a loaded question.”

Before he could even _think_ , Matsun found your hand around his wrist, being pulled down the hallway towards the main shop. Sitting at the cash register, Makki and Yasuda stared curiously at the two of you, laughing softly amongst themselves as they jutted out thumbs out at the two of you. It was an absolute _flurry_ as you pulled Matsun through the shop, explaining everything about _anything._ The types of flowers, the meanings behind the flowers, breaking down the colors and _their_ meanings, explaining how they were bred with others, hybrids. For a brief moment, Matsun wondered if he should start taking notes, _terrified_ that you would be ashamed of him for not remembering a single thing. But then he remembered that you were you, and you were far too good for that.

 _Honeybee._ The name echoed in his head as he watched you flitting through the shop, excitedly buzzing about the different plants and their varieties. At some point, Matsun just stopped, watching you with an adoring gaze, an even softer smile on his lips as he listened to you ramble on about flowers. Something, just something absolutely adorable about the way you went on about the different plants.

“Hon-” Matsun’s eyes widened as he realized his pet name for you was about to slip out, his shoulders tensing immediately. “[L/N]! Do you have any recommendations for a beginner plant? Like, beginner, beginner plant.”

Matsun thanked the beings above that you seemed like you didn’t hear his almost slip-up as you stopped, stroking your chin. “Hmmm, I would recommend a lucky bamboo. Doesn’t require much from you, just plop it down wherever. But it’s kinda boring, so…” you looked around, squinting as you bit your lip and grabbed a white potted flower, shoving it into his hands. “How about you take this moth orchid? Easy to maintain, I can text you details about how to take care of it.”

Eyes widened, Matsun shoved the moth orchid back into your arms, shaking his head. “No, no, I have to pay you for that. I can’t take it for free.”

You gave only a dumbfounded look, shaking your head. “Uh, no, I’m the shop owner. This is my plant, and I’m giving it to you.”

Well, it was _kinda_ rude to say no now. The potted orchid looked awkwardly small compared to Matsun’s large frame, earning a snicker from Makki and Yasuda as they watched the scene in front of them unfold. The only thing that was on Matsun’s mind was just how _scared_ he was to kill this and disappoint you. Immediately, he started wondering where to put this in his apartment. Bedroom? His shrine? Would the household spirits like this plant?

“Hey, ‘Sei.” Makki’s voice broke through Matsun’s panicked train of thought. “We should probably head out soon. Your boss is probably wondering where you are.”

Saying your good-byes and parting farewells, Matsun and Makki walked out of the shop, moth orchid in the former’s hand and a ripped piece of paper in the other. To say that the past hour was an absolute _whirlwind_ was an understatement, Matsun’s hair a bit tousled as he realized just how _much_ he had been nervously running his hand through his hair. Silence fell on the pair as they started down the street, taking in exactly what had just happened.

“So... “ It was Makki who broke the silence first. “Tutoring. Yasuda’s daughter. That’s a thing now.”

Matsun laughed, remembering the first conversation of the day with the flower store employee. “And how do you feel about that?"

A blush grew over his friend’s face, the latter instinctively turning away to avoid eye contact. “It’s _fine_.”

“Hmmm, most people don’t get that excited over an attractive man asking you to tutor his five year old daughter. Are you sure about it's not about the hot, single dad you had just talked to?”

“Shut the _fuck_ up, 'Sei.”

Laughter erupted between the two, Makki bending over just ever so slightly at the analysis. “Anyway, _I’m_ not the one who completely forgot to get the person’s personal phone number. And…” He looked Matsun directly in the eyes, eyebrows raised. “ _I’m_ not the funeral home employee that completely forgot to make a business deal like their boss had recommended.”

“... _Fuck._ ”

\-----

“I overstepped, didn’t I?”

Now it was Yasuda sitting at the sage green table, chin resting on the table as he raked his hands through his hair, hiding his face from your gaze. All you could do was hum, spiraling a pair of lace to tie up a bouquet of carnations for a baby shower. 

“Do you want advice or to just complain?” You teasingly asked, thinking back to your earlier conversation with him. “Because…”

“ _Shut up._ ”

All you could do was snort from laughter, earning a groan from your employee as he pushed his entire face into the table out of embarrassment. “He’s cute, he seems nice. And I’ll kick his ass if he hurts you, alright?”

“Fine.” Yasuda leaned back in the chair, resting his chin in his hands as he rested his elbows on the table. “Oh, by the way, remember when you told Matsukawa that you would help him with his moth orchid and you would text him about how to take care of it?”

“Mhm.”

“Do you remember getting his number?”

It was your turn to groan as you put your face into your hands. “.... No.”

“And did you ever make a business arrangement with him?”

You know those panels in mangas where there’s an arrow that pops out of a text panel and stabs you in the side? That’s about how you felt at the realization that you hadn’t even talked business for a _minute_ with Matsukawa. Just… Flowers, doing everything to _not_ freak out over his mere presence.

It was Yasuda’s turn to laugh at your despair as he leaned back in the chair. “I’ll see about getting Matsun’s number from Makki. You’ve got a month and a half until the wisteria patch to chat him up, figure things out, ya know the works. It’ll be great, you’ll fall in love at the wisteria patch, and you’ll be the picture perfect couple.”

Running your hands down your face, you pointed a finger at Yasuda. “As long as you talk to Makki.”

It was like you playing a game of tennis, swapping between laughter and groans of despair. For this turn, it was Yasuda’s time to groan in despair. “I… Alright, but it’s more complicated than your situation. So, it might just… _Not_ work out.”

“Hey, absolutely no judgment from me if it doesn’t work out.” A soft, breathy chuckle left your mouth as you looked up at Yasuda. “But something tells me that it’s gonna work out in the end.”

As your mind turned back to the bouquet in front of you, trimming, properly placing the flowers so they color coordinated, your mind wandered toward the future. The wisteria garden, his hands wrapped around yours, visits to prairies and fields of wildflowers, shrine visits, visits to your grandparents’ rice paddies. Everything flooded in at once and the words you had used to reassure Yasuda suddenly felt that they were ringing true for you. And that presence you had sensed at the funeral home seemed to linger in the back of your store, watching carefully, emanating a pleased aura.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kinda want to make a off-shoot of this series on yasuda and makki.... 
> 
> hmmmm, many thoughts, head full


End file.
